U.S. patent number 7,010,717 [Application Number 10/208,097] was granted by the patent office on 2006-03-07 for facility creation process for clustered servers.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.. Invention is credited to Troy Charles Whitlow.
United States Patent |
7,010,717 |
Whitlow |
March 7, 2006 |
Facility creation process for clustered servers
Abstract
A method of creating a facility in a clustered server
configuration, includes: creating a facility on a first cluster
node; adding facility registry keys to a resource in the cluster
group, the registry keys comprising a facility key, a full text
key, open database connectivity format keys, and connectivity
information keys; performing a fail-over operation of the cluster
group from the first cluster node to the second cluster node;
resetting a password for the open database connectivity for the
added facility; and removing the added facility registry keys to
prevent replication back to the first cluster node. An apparatus
for providing a facility in a cluster server configuration,
includes: a first cluster node; a second cluster node; a shared
disk system coupled to the first cluster node and second cluster
node; where a facility can be created on the first cluster
node.
Inventors: |
Whitlow; Troy Charles
(Roseville, CA) |
Assignee: |
Hewlett-Packard Development
Company, L.P. (Houston, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
30770526 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/208,097 |
Filed: |
July 29, 2002 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20040019820 A1 |
Jan 29, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
714/4.11;
714/6.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
67/1095 (20130101); H04L 69/40 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
11/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;714/4,6 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Microsoft Corporation, Internet Information Services 5.0 Technical
Overview, 1999, Microsoft Corporation, pp. 6-7 and 11. cited by
examiner .
eRoom Technology, Inc., What's New in eRoom Version 6: A Summary of
New Features, May. 10, 2002, eRoom Technology Inc., p. 5. cited by
examiner .
eRoom Technology, Inc., eRoom v6 Add-on Software Downloads, Jul.
18, 2002,
http://web.archive.org/web/20021210164719/www.eroom.com/CC.sub.--content/-
addon.asp. cited by examiner .
RSA SecurID, RSA SecurID Ready Implementation Guide, Mar. 12, 2002,
RSA SecurID, p. 4. cited by examiner .
"Multipurpose Web Publishing Using HTML, XML, and CSS" by Lie et
al., Communications of the ACM, ACM, USA, vol. 42, No. 10, Oct.
1999, pp. 95-101. cited by other .
"Atomic Writes for Data Integrity and Consistency in Shared Storage
Devices for Clusters" by M. Okun, et al. Proceedings of the Fifth
International Conference on Algorithms and Architectures for
Parallel Processing, 2002; Oct. 23-25, 2002 Total pp.: 7. cited by
other.
|
Primary Examiner: Baderman; Scott
Assistant Examiner: Contino; Paul F.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of installing a facility in a clustered server
configuration, the method comprising: installing a facility on a
first cluster node, wherein the facility comprises a logical
container that contains a plurality of rooms in an eRoom server
application; adding facility registry keys to a resource in the
cluster group, the registry keys comprising a facility key, a full
text key, open database connectivity format keys, and a
connectivity information key; performing a failover operation of
the cluster group from the first cluster node to a second cluster
node; resetting a password for an open database connectivity for
the added facility; and removing the added facility registry keys
to prevent replication back to the first cluster node.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: testing the added
facility for proper functionality.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: performing a
fail-over operation of the cluster group to the first cluster
node.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cluster group includes an
eRoom cluster group.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cluster node comprises
a first server and the second cluster node comprises a second
server.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the facility comprises an eRoom
facility.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the open database connectivity
format keys permit the second cluster node to locate the installed
facility via the shared disk system and permit one of the cluster
nodes to make structured query language calls and wherein the
registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node during the
fail-over operation.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the facility is replicated on the
second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
9. An apparatus for providing a facility in a cluster server
configuration, the apparatus comprising: a first cluster node; a
second cluster node; a shared disk system coupled to the first
cluster node and second cluster node; where a facility can be
installed on the first cluster node, wherein the facility comprises
a logical container that contains a plurality of rooms in an eRoom
server application, where facility registry keys are added to a
resource in a cluster group comprising the first cluster node, the
second cluster node and the shared disk system, the registry keys
comprising a facility key, a full text key, open database
connectivity format keys wherein the open database connectivity
format keys permit the second cluster node to locate the installed
facility via the shared disk system and permit one of the cluster
nodes to make structured query language calls, and a connectivity
information key, and where a fail-over operation of the cluster
group can be performed from the first cluster node to the second
cluster node so that the facility is replicated on the second
cluster node, wherein the registry keys are replicated in the
second cluster node during the fail-over operation and a password
for an open database connectivity for the installed facility is
reset after the fail-over operation.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the added facility registry
keys are removed to prevent replication back to the first cluster
node.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein testing is performed to the
added facility for proper functionality.
12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein another fail-over operation
of the cluster group is performed to the first cluster node.
13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cluster group includes an
eRoom cluster group.
14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first cluster node
comprises a first server and the second cluster node comprises a
second server.
15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the facility comprises an
eRoom facility.
16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the open database
connectivity format keys permit the second cluster node to locate
the installed facility via the shared disk system and permit one of
the cluster nodes to make structured query language calls and
wherein the registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node
during the fail-over operation.
17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the facility is replicated on
the second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
18. An article of manufacture, comprising: a machine-readable
medium having stored thereon instructions to: install a facility on
a first cluster node, wherein the facility comprises a logical
container that contains a plurality of rooms in an eRoom server
application; add facility registry keys to a resource in a cluster
group comprising the first cluster node, a second cluster node and
a shared disk, the registry keys comprising a facility key, a full
text key, open database connectivity format keys, and a
connectivity information key; perform a fail-over operation of the
cluster group from the first cluster node to the second cluster
node; reset a password for an open database connectivity for the
added facility; and remove the added facility registry keys to
prevent replication back to the first cluster node.
19. The article of claim 18, wherein the first cluster node
comprises a first server and the second cluster node comprises a
second server.
20. The article of claim 18, wherein the facility comprises an
eRoom facility.
21. The article of claim 18, wherein the open database connectivity
format keys permit the second cluster node to locate the installed
facility via the shared disk system and permit one of the cluster
nodes to make structured query language calls and wherein the
registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node during the
fail-over operation.
22. The article of claim 18, wherein the facility is replicated on
the second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
23. An apparatus for installing a facility in a clustered server
configuration, the apparatus comprising: means for installing a
facility on a first cluster node, wherein the facility comprises a
logical container that contains a plurality of rooms in an eRoom
server application; coupled to creating means, means for adding
facility registry keys to a resource in a cluster group comprising
the first cluster node, a second cluster node and a shared disk,
the registry keys comprising a facility key, a full text key, open
database connectivity format keys, and a connectivity information
key; coupled to the adding means, means for performing a fail-over
operation of the cluster group from the first cluster node to the
second cluster node; coupled to the performing means, means for
resetting a password for an open database connectivity for the
added facility; and coupled to the resetting means, means for
removing the added facility registry keys to prevent replication
back to the first cluster node.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first cluster node
comprises a first server and the second cluster node comprises a
second server.
25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the facility comprises an
eRoom facility.
26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the open database
connectivity format keys permit the second cluster node to locate
the installed facility via the shared disk system and permit one of
the cluster nodes to make structured query language calls and
wherein the registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node
during the fail-over operation.
27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the facility is replicated
on the second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
28. A method of installing a facility in a clustered server
configuration, the method comprising: performing an eRoom cluster
configuration procedure to permit one of a first cluster node and a
second cluster node to run an eRoom server application that is
installed in a shared storage device in the cluster configuration;
installing a facility on a first cluster node, wherein the facility
comprises a logical container that contains a plurality of rooms in
the eRoom server application; adding facility registry keys to a
resource in a cluster group comprising the first cluster node, the
second cluster node and the shared storage device, the registry
keys comprising a facility key, a full text key, open database
connectivity format keys, and a connectivity information key;
performing a fail-over operation of the cluster group from the
first cluster node to the second cluster node, with the registry
keys being replicated in the second cluster node during the
fail-over operation; resetting a password for an open database
connectivity for the added facility; and removing the added
facility registry keys to prevent replication back to the first
cluster node.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: testing the added
facility for proper functionality.
30. The method of claim 28, further comprising: performing a
fail-over operation of the cluster group to the first cluster
node.
31. The method of claim 28 wherein the cluster group includes an
eRoom cluster group.
32. The method of claim 28, wherein the first cluster node
comprises a first server and the second cluster node comprises a
second server.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein the facility comprises an eRoom
facility.
34. The method of claim 28, wherein the open database connectivity
format keys permit the second cluster node to locate the installed
facility via the shared disk system and permit one of the cluster
nodes to make structured query language calls and wherein the
registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node during the
fail-over operation.
35. The method of claim 28, wherein the facility is replicated on
the second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
36. An apparatus for installing a facility in a clustered server
configuration, the apparatus comprising: means for performing an
eRoom cluster configuration procedure to permit one of a first
cluster node and a second cluster node to run an eRoom server
application that is installed in a shared storage device in the
cluster configuration; means for installing a facility on a first
cluster node, wherein the facility comprises a logical container
that contains a plurality of rooms in the eRoom server application;
coupled to the creating means, means for adding facility registry
keys to a resource in a cluster group comprising the first cluster
node, the second cluster node and the shared storage device, the
registry keys comprising a facility key, a full text key, open
database connectivity format keys, and a connectivity information
key; coupled to the adding means, means for performing a fail-over
operation of the cluster group from the first cluster node to the
second cluster node, with the registry keys being replicated in the
second cluster node during the fail-over operation; coupled to the
performing means, means for resetting a password for an open
database connectivity for the added facility; and coupled to the
resetting means, means for removing the added facility registry
keys to prevent replication back to the first cluster node.
37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first cluster node
comprises a first server and the second cluster node comprises a
second server.
38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the facility comprises an
eRoom facility.
39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the open database
connectivity format keys permit the second cluster node to locate
the installed facility via the shared disk system and permit one of
the cluster nodes to make structured query language calls and
wherein the registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node
during the fail-over operation.
40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the facility is replicated
on the second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
41. An article of manufacture, comprising: a machine-readable
medium having stored thereon instructions to: perform an eRoom
cluster configuration procedure to permit one of a first cluster
node and a second cluster node to run an eRoom server application
that is installed in a shared storage device in the cluster
configuration; install a facility on a first cluster node, wherein
the facility comprises a logical container that contains a
plurality of rooms in the eRoom server application; add facility
registry keys to a resource in a cluster group comprising the first
cluster node, the second cluster node and the shared storage
device, the registry keys comprising a facility key, a full text
key, open database connectivity format keys, and a connectivity
information key; perform a fail-over operation of the cluster group
from the first cluster node to the second cluster node, with the
registry keys being replicated in the second cluster node during
the fail-over operation; reset a password for an open database
connectivity for the added facility; and remove the added facility
registry keys to prevent replication back to the first cluster
node.
42. The article of claim 41, wherein the first cluster node
comprises a first server and the second cluster node comprises a
second server.
43. The article of claim 41, wherein the facility comprises an
eRoom facility.
44. The article of claim 41, wherein the open database connectivity
format keys permit the second cluster node to locate the installed
facility via the shared disk system and permit one of the cluster
nodes to make structured query language calls and wherein the
registry keys are replicated in the second cluster node during the
fail-over operation.
45. The article of claim 41, wherein the facility is replicated on
the second cluster node during the fail-over operation.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is application has common subject matter with co-pending
application having application Ser. No. 10/097,989, filed Mar. 13,
2002, and entitled "HIGH AVAILABILITY ENHANCEMENT FOR SERVERS USING
STRUCTURED QUERY LANGUAGE (SQL)".
TECHNICAL FIELD
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to
communication networks. More particularly, embodiments of the
present invention provide an apparatus and method for creating a
new facility in cluster nodes.
BACKGROUND
Web collaboration and e-business solutions may be provided by use
of an application known as the eRoom server application ("eRoom")
from eROOM TECHNOLOGIES, INCORPORATED. eRoom can run on the
MICROSOFT WINDOWS 2000 server family of products from MICROSOFT
CORPORATION, Redmond, Wa. One version of eRoom can be deployed
using either a built-in database engine which utilizes SQLAnywhere
or deployed using the Microsoft SQL 2000 server or SQL Server 7
database. Both deployment methods are stand-alone installations,
meaning that the eRoom and SQLAnywhere run on the same machine with
no redundancy. When used with Microsoft SQL, the database engine
can reside locally on the eRoom server or on a different
server.
Both deployment methods do not provide for redundancy or high
availability features. For example, the eRoom server application
does not support the Microsoft Clustering Service as a native
feature. Instead, methods, such as fault tolerant hardware and disk
configurations combined with full system backups, are the current
and non-robust techniques to protect an eRoom instance.
Therefore, current technologies, such as eRoom, are unable to
support a clustered highly available instance which would be useful
in, for example, critical applications or in an environment with
many users. For example, the eRoom application does not support
clustering as a native feature and is advertised as a stand-alone
application.
Furthermore, novel solutions would be required for creating a new
facility if more robust-techniques are used to protect an eRoom
instance.
Therefore, current technologies are limited in their capabilities
and suffer from at least the above constraints.
SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the invention, a method of creating a facility
in a clustered server configuration, includes:
creating a facility on a first cluster node;
adding facility registry keys to a resource in the cluster group,
the registry keys comprising a facility key, a full text key, open
database connectivity format keys, and a connectivity information
key;
performing a fail-over operation of the cluster group from the
first cluster node to the second cluster node;
resetting a password for the open database connectivity for the
added facility; and
removing the added facility registry keys to prevent replication
back to the first cluster node.
Testing of the new added facility may also be performed. A
fail-over operation of the cluster group to the first cluster node
may also then be performed.
In another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for providing
a facility in a cluster server configuration, includes: a first
cluster node; a second cluster node; a shared disk system coupled
to the first cluster node and second cluster node; where a facility
can be created on the first cluster node, where facility registry
keys are added to a resource in the cluster group, the registry
keys comprising a facility key, a full text key, open database
connectivity format keys, and a connectivity information key, and
where a fail-over operation of the cluster group can be performed
from the first cluster node to the second cluster node.
These and other features of an embodiment of the present invention
will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art
upon reading the entirety of this disclosure, which includes the
accompanying drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present
invention are described with reference to the following figures,
wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
various views unless otherwise specified.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a high-level flowchart of a method in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an apparatus for
clustered eRoom servers with created facilities on both clustered
nodes, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for creating facilities on
clustered nodes, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided,
such as examples of components and/or methods, to provide a
thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled
in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of
the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific
details, or with other apparatus, systems, methods, components,
materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-known
structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in
detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments the invention.
Embodiments of the invention are applicable in the cluster
application environment. Embodiments of the invention provide a
process to allow the creation of new facilities on both nodes in a
cluster configuration. In one embodiment, a method for creating new
facilities includes, creating a new facility, configuring for
registry replication, and resetting of security settings on the
receiving cluster node.
Embodiments of the invention may provide the advantages of
requiring no modification to an eRoom application code and/or
allowing for multiple facilities to be replicated in a robust
manner. In particular, embodiments of the invention advantageously
solve the problem of creating new facilities on a second cluster
node in a cluster configuration.
An overview discussion is first presented on a method for creating
a cluster configuration with servers using structured query
language (SQL). This method is discussed below with reference to
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and is discussed in further detail in the
above-referenced U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/097,989, by
Troy C. Whitlow, filed Mar. 13, 2002, and entitled "HIGH
AVAILABILITY ENHANCEMENT FOR SERVERS USING STRUCTURED QUERY
LANGUAGE (SQL)", which is hereby fully incorporated herein by
reference.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus 100 in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. It is noted that the elements,
identifying names, and/or states shown in FIG. 1 are not
necessarily all present at a given time. Various elements,
identifying names, and/or states are shown in FIG. 1 for purposes
of describing a functionality of an embodiment of the invention and
should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention.
In an embodiment, the apparatus 100 includes a first server (server
1) 105a connected to a second server (server 2) 105b via a public
network 115 such as, for example, a local area network (LAN). Both
servers 105a and 105b can access a shared storage system 120. The
node cluster configuration (hereinafter "cluster") in FIG. 1 is
defined by the servers 105a and 105b, shared storage system 120,
and private network 125 for transmitting heartbeat traffic.
In one embodiment, the servers 105a and 105b are of the same type
so that the similar hardware between the two servers 105a and 105b
improves performance from a standard-standpoint. However, it is not
a requirement that both servers 105a and 105b are of the same type
of hardware.
In one embodiment, the server 105a may include eRoom resources,
while the server 105b may include SQL resources. As known to those
skilled in the art, SQL is a standardized query language for
requesting information from a database. The servers 105a and 105b
can be any type of machine that use SQL and are not necessarily
limited to a requirement of using eRoom resources.
As described below, in an embodiment, an eRoom instance is created
in the appropriate cluster resources. Additionally, an SQL instance
is configured to provide database protection. Each server (or node)
in the cluster has a specific function. The first server 105a is,
for example, the primary owner of the eRoom virtual server, while
the second server 105b is, for example, the primary owner of the
SQL virtual server. This permits optimal performance for each
instance, with system resources available for virtual servers to
fail-over. Each virtual server includes the needed resources
necessary for eRoom and SQL to function in the cluster. For
example, the resource group for eRoom to function in the cluster
may include the elements shown in Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 eRoom resource group physical disk Internet
Protocol (IP) address network name IIS Admin service World Wide Web
Services service Simple Mail Transport Protocol Service FTP
Publishing service Internet Information Server (IIS) virtual root
default File Transfer Protocol (FTP) IIS virtual root - default web
eRoom scheduler service eRoom extension manager service ERoom
Diagnostics service
As another example, the resource group for SQL to function in the
cluster may include the elements shown in Table 2.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 SQL resource group physical disk SQL IP
address SQL network name SQL server SQL agent SQL full text
Both servers 105a and 105b in the cluster are typically designed
with enough system resources to handle the load of resources that
are failed over to the surviving server (node). If a server (node)
owning the eRoom resource were to fail, the resources would move
automatically to the other server (node) and resume service. The
same is true for the SQL instance, where during a failure of a
server (node) that owns the SQL resources, the resources would move
automatically to the surviving server (node). The operation of an
embodiment of an apparatus 100 is described in conjunction with the
flowchart shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a high-level flowchart illustrating a process or method
200 of enhancing the eRoom application to provided for high
availability without the need for any modification to the eRoom
source code or any custom programming, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. This process 200 includes the cloning
of servers (nodes) to each run eRoom independently with identical
data. Once the clone is complete, the eRoom data is migrated to a
clustered disk environment (i.e., a shared storage system 120),
along with the necessary cluster resources. Additionally, the SQL
servers servicing the cloned machines are removed and a clustered
instance of SQL is used for the final configuration.
An embodiment of the process 200 for enhancing the eRoom
application to provide for high availability, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention, is now discussed. It is noted that the
names used to identify the elements or actions in the drawings
(e.g., "C:\" disk, "D:" disk, "E:" disk, "M:" disk, "Q:\" disk,
and/or the like) are only provided as some possible examples to
identify the elements or actions, and other names may be used as
well to identify the elements and actions shown in the drawings and
discussed in the text.
Hardware Configuration (Action 205)
In action (205), all necessary hardware for clustering (or cluster
configuration) is installed in the servers 105a and 105b. The
hardware to be installed includes, for example, a Small Computer
System Interface (SCSI) controller that is cluster-capable and
additional network interface cards (NICs) for the networking
functions. All hardware devices are typically installed in the same
slots for each of the servers 105a and 105b. Additionally, in one
embodiment, the hardware is check for compliance with the Microsoft
Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
Operating System and Application Installation (Action 210)
In action (210), an operating system is first installed in one of
the servers (e.g., first server 105a). For example, the operating
system is the Windows 2000 Advanced Server Application which may be
installed in a (C:\) disk (memory 150a). By use of the operating
system, a temporary (D:) disk and temporary (E:) disk are created
in a non-shared disk subset (or memory 155a). The temporary (D:)
disk and temporary (E:) disk are partitioned in the memory
155a.
Also, in action (210), a standard SQL installation is performed.
SQL program files may be installed in the (C:\) disk, and SQL data
files may be installed in the (E:) drive. The server 105 is
restarted after completing the SQL installation.
Also, in action (210) a standard eRoom application installation is
performed. For example, the eRoom 5.x SQL version is installed in
the server 105a. Scripts files and eRoom setup files may be
installed to a default path (C:\Inetpub) in the (C:\) disk, and
eRoom program files and eRoom server data may be installed in the
(D:) disk.
Thus, the server 105 is now fully functional as a standalone server
with eRoom and SQL functionality.
System Duplication or Cloning (Action 215)
In action (215), an image or snapshot of the server 105a is taken
and duplicated in the server 105b. Two different methods may be
used to duplicate or clone an image or snapshot of the server 105a.
First, standard backup software may be used to clone the image or
snapshot of the server 105a. The backup software will perform a
full backup of the images in the first server 105a to the second
server 105b. The use of a standard backup software for cloning
typically requires a minimum operating software image to first be
installed in second server 105b and empty (D:) and (E:) disk spaces
be present in the second server 105b prior to the cloning action.
Additionally, the standard backup software typically requires the
name of the second server 105b to be changed to the name of the
first server 105a.
Alternatively, a disk imaging product may be used to clone the
image or snapshot of the server 105a. An example of a suitable disk
imaging product is of type such as NORTON GHOST from SYMANTEC
CORPORATION.
Thus, in action (215), the (C:\) disk image or snapshot in memory
150a of server 105a is cloned into a (C:\) disk (memory 150b) of
second server 105b. The (D:) and (E:) disk images or snapshots in
memory 155a of server 105a is cloned into the (D:) disk and (E:)
disk (memory 155b) of second server 105b.
The first server 105a is then taken off-line. An IP address and
Network Name is assigned to second server 105b. Additionally, other
appropriate networking properties are changed in the second server
105b. The first server 105a is then placed back on-line.
As a result, both servers 105a and 105b can run as stand-alone
servers with eRoom and SQL functionality. Both servers 105a and
105b may be tested for correct functionality.
Initial Cluster Configuration (Action 220)
In action (220), the cluster server (shared storage system 120) is
installed. An initial cluster configuration procedure is performed
for eventually permitting both servers 105a and 105b to function in
the clustered environment. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive letters of
logical disk (D:) in first server 105a is changed to (M:).
Similarly, the drive letters of logical disk (D:) in second server
105b is changed to (M:). The drive letters of logical disks (E:) on
both servers 105a and 105b are also changed to (N:).
In action (220), in an embodiment, logical disks are created in the
available disk sets in the shared cluster disk system 120 (FIG. 1)
by use of a Disk Administrator in first server 105a. For example,
the following separated disks are created in the shared disk system
120: disk (Q:) (i.e., memory 170) for the cluster Quorum disk, disk
(D:) (i.e., memory 175) for eRoom Server Data, and disk (F:) (i.e.,
memory 180) for SQL installation.
Thus, the first server 105a (or second server 105b) will have six
(6) logical drives (three on the non-shared bus and three on the
shared cluster bus).
eRoom Cluster Configuration (Action 225)
In action (225), eRoom is first shut down. eRoom program files and
eRoom server data in the (M:) disk of, for example, the first
server 105a are then copied to the (D:) disk (memory 175) of the
shared storage 120. eRoom is again turned on. Testing is also
performed to verify that the eRoom cluster resource in the shared
storage 120 can move to the second server 105a. Thus, both servers
105a and 105b can use the shared storage 120 to run eRoom.
Typically, the eRoom application will run on only one of the nodes
(e.g., first server 105a) that owns the disk (D:) in the shared
storage 120 (i.e., active/passive state). The shared disk (D:) will
move over to the other node (e.g., second server 105b) as part of
the cluster on fail-over.
SQL Cluster Configuration (Action 230)
In action (230), all SQL services in both servers 105a and 105b are
stopped, and SQL is uninstalled on both servers 105a and 105b. The
disk drive letter on first server 105a is changed from (E:) to
(N:), and the shared cluster disk (F:) (i.e., memory 180) is
changed to (E:). The disk drive letter on the second server 105b is
changed from (E:) to (N:).
SQL installation is then performed to install SQL to disk (E:) in
the shared storage 120. User databases in the servers 105a and 105b
are copied to the disk (E:) in the shared storage 120.
On the first server 105a and second server 105b, all Open Database
Connectivity Format (ODBC) connections for the eRoom databases are
reset to point the servers 105a and 105b to the shared storage 120.
Thus, SQL is now running in a clustered mode, and eRoom is pointing
to the databases in the shared storage 120 disk (D:).
The cluster resources on the servers 105a and 105b are set up, and
the virtual IIS instances are also set up so that eRoom can run
under a virtual name. This permits the use of a one-entry name no
matter where eRoom is running (whether eRoom is running on first
server 105a or second server 105b).
The temporary disks (M:) and (N:) in the servers 105a and 105b are
then removed.
Post Installation Testing (Action 235)
In action (235), eRoom functionality is tested using the virtual
web address defined in the eRoom cluster resource setup for
verification. The eRoom resource group is moved to second server
105b and tested again. The eRoom resource group is then returned to
first server 105a. The SQL resource is also tested by moving the
resource back and forth between the servers 105a and 105b.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus 300 in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. The apparatus 300 includes a first
server (server 1 or cluster node) 305a connected to a second server
(server 2 or cluster node) 305b. Both servers 305a and 305b can
access a shared storage system 320, as similarly mentioned above in
FIG. 1. The node cluster configuration (hereinafter "cluster") in
FIG. 3 is typically defined by the servers 305a and 305b, shared
storage system 320, and a private network for transmitting
heartbeat traffic between both servers 305a and 305b.
In an embodiment of the invention, when a new facility in the eRoom
application is created in the first server 305a, then a facility
creation process permits the facility to also be created in the
second server 305b for proper operation in the cluster
configuration of FIG. 3. Typically, the eRoom application permits
the creation of a particular facility only once, and as a result,
the second server 305b will need notification of the new facility
created on the other server 305a. In the eRoom application, a
facility is simply a group of eRooms that have their own
Administrator, licenses, and list of members. Thus, a facility
effectively serves as a logical container that contains the "rooms"
in the eRoom application. The eRoom application supports multiple
facilities per eRoom server.
A non-clustered version of the eRoom application includes a
configuration for creating a new facility by use of an
administrative web page. The eRoom code would create the facility,
build a database for the created facility, and create a data
directory for that facility.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for creating facilities on
clustered nodes (clustered servers), in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. An eRoom facility is first created
(405) on a first cluster node by use of an eRoom functionality.
Typically, an administrative web page is used for creating the
facility. When a facility is created in the eRoom application, a
folder is created in the data directory in the shared disk system
320 (FIG. 3). Facility registry keys are then added (410) to an
eRoom resource (known as the eRoom NOTIFIER) in the eRoom cluster
group after the new facility has been created on the first cluster
node 305a (see FIG. 3). The registry keys are obtained and added by
use of a suitable registry editor tool such as REGEDIT. In an
embodiment of the invention, five (5) particular registry keys are
added as shown in Table 3. These keys are used for a facility. Key
1 is a facility key with all information about the new facility.
Key 2 is a full text key that. has information on how to index the
new facility. Keys 3 and 4 are Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
keys that allow connectivity to the new facility from the eRoom
application. As known to those skilled in the art, ODBC is an open
standard application programming interface (API) for accessing a
database. By using ODBC statements in a program, one can access
files in a number of different databases, including Access, dBase,
DB2, Excel, arid Text. In addition to the ODBC software, a separate
module or driver is needed for each database to be accessed.
In particular, Key 3 is a key for indexing so that a cluster node
will know how to locate the database for the new facility. Key 4 is
an SQL ODBC connection that allows a cluster node to make SQL
calls. Key 5 is a key that informs the WINDOWS application in a
cluster node about all of the ODBC connections, including the two
new ODBC connections relating to Key 3 and Key 4.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Key 1:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\eRoom\eRoom
Server\Facilities\<Facility Name> Key 2:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\eRoom\eRoom Server\Full
Text\Facilities\<Facility GUID> Key 3:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\ ERFT-<Facility
Name> Key 4: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\
Server-<Facility Name> Key 5:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\ ODBC Data Sources
Alternatively, in action (410) the five registry keys may be
manually copied to the eRoom NOTIFIER resource, and the keys are
then replicated over to the second cluster node during the
fail-over operation. In a preferred embodiment, action (410)
involves adding the registry keys to the eRoom NOTIFIER resource
because the resource uses an integrated replication scheme in the
clustering operation with a checkpoint operation to ensure
successful replication between the cluster nodes.
A fail-over is then performed (415) to the second cluster node, for
the cluster group (i.e., the resource group that owns the eRoom
application). During the fail-over, the five keys above are
replicated in the second cluster node. A cluster administrator
application is typically used for performing the fail-over
operation from the fist cluster node to the second cluster
node.
A reset is then performed (420) for the ODBC password for the new
added facility. The ODBC password is reset because the password is
encrypted and is lost during the fail-over operation. An ODBC tool
is typically used to reset the password.
The five registry keys are then removed (425). The registry keys
are removed from the eRoom NOTIFIER resource. In removing the
registry keys from the cluster resource, this prevents replication
back to the originating cluster node. These five registry keys were
previously added in action (410) above. The cluster administrator
is typically used to remove the registry keys.
Tests may then be performed (430) for the functionality of the new
facility. A standard web browser functionality may be used to
perform the testing operations.
A fail-over is then performed (435) to the first cluster node for
the eRoom cluster group. This fail-over operation is performed to
insure proper operation of the eRoom resource group in the cluster
configuration. The cluster administrator is typically used to
perform the fail-over operation. The failover in step (435) is
intended to get the application back into the original state prior
to adding the facility.
A generic service, such as the eRoom EXTENSION MANAGER application,
is used as the cluster resource to permit the replication
operation. However, another generic service may alternatively be
used as the cluster resource.
The various engines or modules discussed herein may also be, for
example, software, commands, data files, programs, code, modules,
instructions, or the like, and may also include suitable
mechanisms.
Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment", "an
embodiment", or "a specific embodiment" means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one
embodiment", "in an embodiment", or "in a specific embodiment" in
various places throughout this specification are not necessarily
all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular
features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any
suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
Other variations and modifications of the above-described
embodiments and methods are possible in light of the foregoing
teaching. Further, at least some of the components of an embodiment
of the invention may be implemented by using a programmed general
purpose digital computer, by using application specific integrated
circuits, programmable logic devices, or field programmable gate
arrays, or by using a network of interconnected components and
circuits. Connections may be wired, wireless, by modem, and the
like.
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements
depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more
separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as
inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a
particular application.
It is also within the scope of the present invention to implement a
program or code that can be stored in a machine-readable medium to
permit a computer to perform any of the methods described
above.
Additionally, the signal arrows in the drawings/Figures are
considered as exemplary and are not limiting, unless otherwise
specifically noted. Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this
disclosure is generally intended to mean "and/or" unless otherwise
indicated. Combinations of components or steps will also be
considered as being noted, where terminology is foreseen as
rendering the ability to separate or combine is unclear.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that
follow, "a", "an", and "the" includes plural references unless the
context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the
description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the
meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on" unless the context clearly
dictates otherwise.
The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention,
including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms
disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the
invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various
equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the
invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.
These modifications can be made to the invention in light of the
above detailed description. The terms used in the following claims
should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific
embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims. Rather,
the scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the
following claims, which are to be construed in accordance with
established doctrines of claim interpretation.
* * * * *
References